Slidable inner jaw wrench having a pivoted rack catch



SLEY ET AL 2,543,824 JAW H HAVING n RACK CATCH March 6, 1951 a. M. BEE

SLIDABLE'INNER WRENC A PIVOTE Filed Se IN V EN TORS.

ATTORNEY.

BENJAMIN M BEE'SLEY, By BARBARA Bess/.5),

Patented Mar; 6, 1951 SLIDABLE INNER'J AW WRENCH'HAVI'NG A PI'VO IEDRACKUATCH eltenjanmin.M. Beesley.amilBarbara Beasley,

- Ventura, Calif.

jApplication September 14, 1946,-Serial*-No. 697,084

1 Claim. (01. 81-434) corning clogged, distorted, or 'otherwiseirendereddifficult to operate or :evencompletely inoperative.

'It is a generalobject of '"the pres'ent invention to provide a pipewrench which is "very simple and inexpensive of construction and whichis simpleand'convenient :to operate. "Inthe construction of the presentinvention: there same-"two cooperating .jaws, one of "which is pivoted."while the other slides and fthesliding jaw is zprovided with setting:means that can be easily "and quickly'operated. The construction of thepresent' invention is free ofiscrewsiorlike devices that are tedious tooperate or are fsubject to ibiecoming "fouled.

It is a further object of 'tl ieapresent invention to provide a wrenchof the character mentioned involving various features of constructionwhich make the device exceedingly simple and iinexpensive of manufacture.and'yet practical and durable. The device of "the present Iinventioninvolves few "simple working parts and is :such that theseveral partscan :bereadily assembled or placed "together and in the final assemblythe several parts are all permanently joined or held assembled bytheapplication of a single' pivot pin which serves as the means iforcoupling the shank of the tool with one'o'f the jaws.

The various objects. and featuresof Iour invention will be fullyunderstood from thefollowing detailed description of a typical preferred.form and application of the invention, throughout which descriptionireference'is :made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of :the wrench showing it 'applied'to'a:pipe. Fig. 2is an enlarged view of the wrench showing the :bodyconstruction withparts broken away to show-"the details of construction.'Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed-'sec- Fig.1. Fig. 4 is a detailedsectional'viewtaken as indicated by :line 4-4 on Fig. '2. Fig.5 is adetailed rsec'tional view taken as indicated by line 2 5-5 'on Fig. 2and Fig. Bis a detailed sectional view taken-as indicated by line'6-6onFig. 2. The device of the present invention involves, generally-abodyA carrying a pair-of jaws, one a pivoted jaw B, the other asliding jawC, means D pivotally connecting jawB to the body, means Eslidablyconnecting the jawC tothe body, .detent means F normally yieldinglyholding the jaw B in normal working position-and ratchet means G actingtoreleasably setthe jaw C on the body A.

The body A is an elongate element characterized by two parts, a shank!!!and a handle H. The shank and handle are preferably integrallyconnectedor joined-end to end and are preferabl-y'in alignment witheachother, as shown in the drawings The jaw B is the outer jaw, in that itis connected to the outer end of shank Ill, and in its preferred form itis an L-shaped part involving amounting arm [3 and a gripping arm l4.'The gripping arm M has a suitably shaped and finished gripping face I5and the parts are normally arranged and related so that the face [5normally extends in adirection generally lateral'to the longitudinalaxis of thebody A and faces inward-or toward the inner jaw 'C.

The mounting arm 13 of jaw B is angularly related to the gripping armand may extend at right "angles thereto, as shown in'thedrawings, itbeing arranged to extend 'from the jaw l4 towardthe outer end of thebody A.

The means D serves to pivotally connect the jaw B with the body 'Aandinvolves, generally, a hinge connection between thejaw and the body, theaxis of which is transverse of the longitudinal axis of the body. Inpractice the construction and formation of means D may vary'wi'clely. In

.- and ther'is a pair of spaced'fianges 2'! on the end of mounting armt3 of jaw 13. The flange I 20 extends or enters'between th'e fianges'ZI. The

' tional "View taken as indicated by line 3- 3on flanges 2B and?! haveopenings 23 which register when thefianges are properly engaged and thepin 22 isacarried in the openings 23,theaxis of the openings and pinbeing transverse to the longitudinal axis ofthe body A. In practicethepin may be 'made secure or 'fast inanysuitame manner. For example it maybe made to have 'a'press -fit either into flange =2 tier into theflanges 2|, in which case it will remain in place unless deliberatelydislodged, there being no tendency for it to become dislodged in normaloperation of the tool.

The inner jaw C is in the nature of an adjustable abutment member orblock. As shown in the drawings the jaw C may include a body 25 having aforward gripping face 26 which is disposed to oppose the face l5 f thejaw B. In the preferred arrangement the face 26 is normal to or at rightangles to the longitudinal axis of the body A and it is formed orfinished to have the desired gripping action. It is to be understoodthat in practice the gripping faces 15 and 26 of the jaws may be shaped,formed, or finished to have suitable gripping action and, in practice,we may follow constructions found in devices of this kind. For example,if desired these faces may be on parts known as inserts which areapplied to the jaws rather than being formed directly on the jaws as wehave shown in the drawings. In the form of jaw body 25 shown in thedrawings the body has an inner side of substantial length opposing oradjoining the shank ll! of body A while the rear outer portion isbeveled away asat 28.

The means E slidably connecting the inner jaw C and the shank preferablyinvolves cheek plates 30 projecting from the body 25 of jaw C to overliethe sides 3! of the shank Iii and ribs 32 on the inner sides of thecheek plates extending parallel with the shank l0 and slidably engagedin guideways 33 extending lengthwise in the sides 3| of the shank II).In accordance with our invention the cheek plates 30 are rigidly formedor joined with the body 25 of jaw C to be an integral continuation ofthe jaw and the ribs 30 are integrally formed on the inner sides of theplates.

In accordance with our invention we extend the guideways 33 to occuropposite each other in the outer sides 3! of the shank H] to the forwardend of the shank It where they are open so that the jaw C can beassembled onto the shank when the pin 22 is removed and the jaw B is notin place. When the jaw B is in place and the pin 22 is in operatingposition the edge portions 36 of flanges 2| close the forward ends ofthe guideways 33 and thus positively prevent displacement of the jaw Cfrom the shank. At the inner end portion of the shank the guidewaysterminate at end walls 31 which positively prevent displacement of thejaw C from the inner end of the shank.

The means F is a detent means provided to normally yieldingly hold thejaw B on the end of shank It so that the arm M of the jaw extendslaterally of the shank causing the gripping face l to face the grippingface 26 of the jaw C.

a The detent means may vary widely in practice;

However, in the preferred form of our invention it involves merely adetent ball 49 carried in a socket 4| in the jaw B to cooperate with anotch 42 in the outer end portion of flange 28. The socket 4! is deepenough to accommodate and hold an helical compression spring 43 whichseats in the bottom of the socket and bears on the ball 40 to normallyyieldingly urge the ball outward in the socket. The notch 42 in theflange 26 has divergent or beveled side walls which act to wedge theball 48 back or into the socket ll against the resistance of spring 43when sufiicient pressure is applied tending to turn the jaw B.

In the construction that we have shown the ends of the shank I0 and thearm l3 of jaw B cooperates to form stops to limit pivotal movement ofthe jaw B on or relative to the shank. We may proportion or relate theparts so that when the jaw B is in the normal position where it is heldby the detent means F shoulders 50 and 5| on the arm l3 and shank [0,respectively, cooperate to positively stop movement of the jaw B towardthe jaw C. Shoulders 52 and 53 on the shank I0 and arm I3, respectively,are apart when the jaw B is positioned as just described but serve topositively stop or limit movement of the jaw B in the directionindicated by the arrow X in Fig. 1.

The ratchet means G is provided as a means for releasably setting thejaw C in the desired position opposing the jaw B and in the form that wehave provided it is an easily operated means providing quick convenientmeans for adjusting the jaw C along the shank A.

In accordance with our present construction the means G involves,generally, a rack on the shank l0 and a pawl carried by the jaw Ccooperating with the rack. In the construction shown a rib 60 projectsfrom the edge of the jaw shank l0 which faces jaw C and a plurality ofratchet teeth 6| are provided on the rib, the teeth being in the form ofratchet teeth faced toward the outer end of the shank. A pawl 62 iscarried in a recess 63 provided in the body 25 of jaw C from the sideopposing the shank ID of body A. In the construction illustrated thepawl is pivotally supported so that its active or outer end is movableinto and out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 6|. We have showntrunnions 64 projecting from opposite sides of the pawl 62 and rotatablyheld in bearing sockets 65 provided at the inner portion of the recess63. The recess 63 and the socket 65 are shaped and related so that thetrunnions are effectively rotatably supported in the sockets in a mannerto support the pawl so that its outer end can be moved into and out ofengagement with the teeth 6 I.

A spring HI, preferably a helical compression spring, normallyyieldingly urges the pawl 82 into active position where it engages teethof the rack. In the arrangement illustrated we show the spring 1!!carried in a recess or socket H provided in the body 25 of the jaw C sothat it carries the spring in a manner to bear on the top of the pawl. H

The pawl 62 is provided with a projection in the form of a fingerwhichprojects from the pawl outward through an extension 8| of recess63. The extension 8| of the recess opens at the inclined back corner 28of the body 25 and the finger 80 is proportioned to project somewhatoutward from or beyond the recess extension 8| so that it projects fromthe exterior of the jaw C in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings. The recess extension 8] is proportioned to allow movementof the finger 80 so that it can be swung in the direction indicated bythe arrow Y in Fig. 1, causing the pawl 62 to be moved so that it islifted out of engagement with the teeth 6|.

It will be apparent that with the construction just described theratchet mechanism is such that the jaw C can be rapidly and easily slidforward on the shank Ill to any desired position for operation andthrough the action of the spring Hi the pawl immediately sets itself orengages a tooth 6| setting the jaw C in position on the shank II]. Torelease or move the jaw back along the shank or toward the inner end ofthe shank it is merely necessary to swing the finger 80 in the directionindicated by the arrow Y in Fig. 1,

whereupon the jaw is freed and can be slid to any desired position alongthe shank.

It is to be observed that the recess 63 in the body 25 ofrjaw C iswidened to facilitate entrance of the trunnions into the bearing sockets85 and through the construction that we have provided the pawl with itsoperating finger 80 can be arranged and positioned in the body 25 of thejaw only from the inner side of the jaw, that is, only from the side ofthe jaw opposing the body shank I0, and when the jaw C is in place onthe shank It as shown throughout the drawings the shank l0 positivelyprevents displacement of the pawl from its operating position in thebody 25 of jaw C.

Through the construction that we have provided the tool is assembled byplacing the pawl in the body 25 of jaw C from the inner side of the bodywith a spring 70 behind the pawl and then sliding the jaw C onto theshank l0 while the finger 80 is depressed, causing the pawl to be out ofengagement with the teeth of the rack on the shank. When the jaw C is inplace the jaw B is arranged in place and the pin 22 applied, whichoperation completes assembly of the tool and with the application of thepin 22 all parts of the tool are assembled and coupled without the aidof any other fastening means. It is to be understood, of course, that asthe jaw B is applied the detent spring and ball are applied so that thedetent means is in place when the final assembly is made.

From the foregoing description and from the drawings it will be apparentthat the tool that we have provided operates substantially the same asthe usual type of pipe wrench in that it provides flexibility betweenthe jaws enabling the wrench to be ratcheted around a pipe or rod.However, it is to be noted that through our construction the adjustablejaw, that is the jaw C; is so mounted and related to the means G thatthe operator can very quickly slide the body into the desired position,and Whenever he wishes the jaw C can be easily released by simplymanipulating the finger 80 as above described.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of ourinvention, we do not wish 6 to be limited or restricted to the specificdetails herein set forth, but wish to reserve to ourselves anyvariations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the artand fall within the scope of the following claim.

Having described our invention, we claim:

A Wrench including an elongate shank, an outer jaw, means pivotallyconnecting the said jaw and the outer end portion of the shank, meansnormally yieldingly holding the outer jaw in a predetermined rotativeposition relative to the shank, an inner jaw having a recess in itsinner side facing the shank and an opening in its outer sidecommunicating with the recess and opening.

away from the shank, means slidably mounting the inner jaw on the shankincluding opposed ribs on the jaw and longitudinally disposed guidewaysin opposite sides of the shank slidably carrying the ribs, the guidewaysbeing open only at the forward end of the shank and being closed by theother jaw on the forward end of the shank, and ratchet means holding theinner jaw in position on the shank including a rack on the shank, and apawl held in the recess in the inner jaw, and having a handle projectionextending through said opening, the pawl having trunnions projectingfrom it and rotatably supported in sockets in the sides of the recess.

BENJAMIN M. BEESLEY.

BARBARA BEESLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 35,123 Winslow Apr. 29, 1862218,195 Rhyn Aug. 5, 1879 552,106 Dinkelacker, Jr. Dec. 31, 1895 599,334Humphrey et al. Feb. 22, 1898 665,031 Paulson Jan. '1, 1901 685,273Grubbs Oct. 29, 1901 777,238 Briscol Dec. 13, 1904 859,020 Smith July 2,1907 1,101,900 Betten June 30, 1914 1,380,643 Eagle June 7, 1921

